 DRILLING THE C-CHANNEL
The aluminum support channel has a die line directly in the center of
the rail to use as a drill guide to ensure perfect alignment of the holes.
We recommend a UniBit #10 drill bit, this drill enables the installer to
drill a hole in our channel in less than 3 seconds! More...
INSTALLATION
OF THE RoofTrac SYSTEM (PDF) |
When
designing this innovative clamping system, we took
several factors into consideration:
1) Make a lightweight rail that conceals
hardware and uses less material so it would be cost effective yet
aesthetically pleasing
2) Make the components of the clamping
system (support rail, channel nut, clamps) integrate with each other in
such a way that we can achieve high engineering values with less material.
This is achieved because when the installed clamps are tightened, the
design of the clamps pulls the tips of the C-channel together to create a
theoretical "square" enhancing the structural properties. This
"soft & lightweight" aluminum is now able to engineer to
50lbs per sq. ft (125mph wind load)!
3) The labor to install on the rooftop -
we would need a fast way to mount the system which is how we designed the
channel nut. This nut effortlessly slides down the channel - with the
close tolerances the aluminum channel keeps, galling isn't a problem.
4) The rail would have to be open,
letting water and debris clear the channel to prevent freeze damage. |
